The UK prosecution has accused two men of acting on behalf of the Hong Kong authorities, and engaging in espionage for the Chinese government against well-known pro-democracy Hong Kong dissidents in the UK. The two appeared in court in London on the 4th.
According to foreign media reports, the two defendants are 65-year-old Yuan Songbiao and 38-year-old Wei Zhiliang, both holders of dual Chinese and British citizenship. They deny charges of aiding a foreign intelligence agency between December 2023 and May 2024, as well as forcibly entering a residential address on May 1 last year and committing "foreign interference."
Prosecutor Atkinson stated that the two are accused of being tasked with "undertaking shadow policing operations on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and thereby on behalf of the People's Republic of China," targeting dissidents currently residing in the UK.
Atkinson also said that communications between the two show they had been monitoring pro-democracy activist Nathan Law since 2021. The Hong Kong government has offered a reward of HKD 1 million (504,800 ringgit) for information on the whereabouts or leads concerning exiled dissidents.
It is reported that Yuan Songbiao is a retired Hong Kong police officer who previously worked at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London; Wei Zhiliang was previously an officer with the UK Border Force, as well as a volunteer part-time officer with the City of London Police.
During the trial, the jury was shown a large volume of messages between Yuan Songbiao, Wei Zhiliang, and others. The prosecution claimed these messages showed they had discussed action plans targeting activists referred to as "cockroaches." Atkinson also pointed out that Yuan had asked Wei in messages to surveil British politicians at a certain event and to "particularly watch for government officials, Members of Parliament, and local councillors."
In addition, Wei Zhiliang is accused of abusing his position with the UK Border Force to gain unauthorized access to the UK Home Office's computer systems.
In response, the Chinese Embassy in London rebutted the accusations, calling them purely fabricated and stating that the UK had no right to interfere in Hong Kong affairs.